mlbonner

hee hee, you may say, yes Thanks

moneypenny20

How are the muffins going?

mlbonner

forgot about that (and also wondered what the heck you were talking about for a second there !!). Made them yesterday actually, chocolate ones with chocolate on top!! Fat & sin free of course!!!

Best go change my location..........................

moneypenny20

As long as they are not still in the oven :scared: - Any excuse to get the fire brigade out

mlbonner

Never thought of that one... still, there's always next time!

Bix

A nod is as good as a wink to a blind man


yafm
Retired Chilly Members
offline
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Tahmoor NSW - Southern Highlands
Posts: 1,261 Hope this is helpful

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just an update on the list of ‘to do’s’ In the light of our
Experiences

Arrange the ‘house cooling’ goodbye party
Make your wills (travelling is dangerous)
Arrange an Australian address (friend, relative, thread member)
or get one of these to organise a PO Box in Australia (in their name and empty it for you) They are quite hard to get so think early – go on waiting list.
Update your address book including tele nos and email addresses
Cancel your ISP service IN WRITING (I did it in email and phone and they continued to charge me for another 5 months said I did not cancel.) Also advise C/C payment they should stop the standing order. (belt and braces cover)
Get copies of some utilities to use as evidence of good payment for same in Australia (otherwise you may have to pay a large deposit $100 or so) PS Australian utilities go in ONE persons’ name Mr or Mrs they don’t like Mr/Mrs and therefore the person who organises it gets the bills in their name – so utilities should match.
Arrange a Nationwide Credit Card (or possibly Halifax) No annual charges and they do not charge extra for foreign currency purchases.
Arrange Standing Order to pay credit cards while you are travelling and getting organised. (we still use our uk c/c and get a better rate than the money we took over originally.)
Organise all change of address details with everyone in the uk. (Credit Card Co.’s and other financial institutions sometimes will not accept this change and ask you to verify by phone to a 0845 number. This is difficult once you have left uk. (They write to the Australian address and say they cannot accept your instructions!!!!!) This includes Share Certificate holding companies.
Cancel uk telephone
Make arrangements with Credit Card companies and other financial institutions for on line working (they often need this instruction confirmed by phone)
Have Boot sale
If you are taking a container or part load –
Scrub shoes and disinfect – they get through ok.
Ditto garden tools – if necessary paint handles/blades – no problems
You can ignore pessimistic threads re difficulty taking garden things (except lawn mowers) SO LONG AS YOU CLEAN THEM wipe with Jeyes fluid and mark them that this has been done
Same for bicycles and childrens garden toys.
Sort out Christmas decorations, throw away pine cones and etc. Mark the box ‘tinsel, tree ornaments an d fairy lights’ NOT Christmas decs. (can mark NO PINE CONES etc.) No problems then
If you have store cupboard don’t throw away. You can take anything that is not opened. Jams, Pasta, pickles, sugar, sauces coffee tea and etc. (BRING MAYONNAISE – Australian type UGH)
If you use Decaf Coffee you may wish to bring lots of this Not readily available only Nescafe and the price is extortionate – not just one pound more than the same size ordinary coffee.
Stock up with your favourite ‘over the counter’ medication inc. multi vits, cod liver oil and sea sickness pills etc. (very expensive here compared with the Super market’s Own Brands in uk.) Include Nu-skin (not available in australia)
Arrange Post Office redirection to Australian address.
Leave couple of pages of labels addressed to a friend/relative in uk for odd bits that get through then and later for the new owner of your house to use. Then they can sort out and pass on if necessary to you.
Get details of your medical records from Doctors (Max charge 50 sterling – but my doctor gave me a copy of the print out he would take on a home visit for free) and this is sufficient for most people.
Get a couple of months supply of medication to cover you while you get sorted with a GP in Australia.
Cancel Car insurance and get letter of confirmation of your NCD to use in Australia.
Cancel house insurances
Cancel TV Licence and ask for refund
Ensure that you ask all refunds to be paid directly into your uk bank account as they send you cheques to Australia and this is not much use. (or make arrangements for a friend/relative to have a paying in bok and get the refunds sent to them)
Organise Travel insurance for the trip (your annual one may not cover one way travel)
Open an Australian Bank a/c (We found HSBC cheapest and best. Not many branches outside large towns but ALL post Offices are De Facto branches) Get forms from local uk HSBC and then arrange via HSBC Canary Wharf – very helpful people.
Open a/c with currency exchange people (HIFX have easiest and quickest forms but DO NOT ALWAYS give the best rate)
Get your eyes tested if the annual test is due – take copy of result
Go to dentist for same
If you have private health insurance get copy of your contracts as some Australian companies will accept a ‘roll over’ and not make you have a ‘waiting period’.
Organise your plane tickets – CHECK that they will give you migrants’ extra luggage allowance. (or go via USA on USA airlines who give 64 kilos per person in two cases)
Arrange for the movers (if you are taking a container)
Make a list of the items it is worth insuring (only insure breakables etc. most things only cost you unnecessary money)
Download and save anything crucial on your computer (they do not like to travel) Unplug everything yourself (the packer broke pins out of our printer plug when he wrenched it out and we did not know for some time) had to purchase new plug.
If you have the facility burn your photos onto CD’s for safety and take them with you in luggage.
Get your mobile phone unlocked (can be done cheaply on line if necessary) Then purchase a pre paid pack in Australia to keep you going until you decide who to go with for the best cover for your chosen area. ($30 inc. $29 calls for a pre paid sim)
Cancel your mobile telephone contract.
Get copy of last years’ Christmas card list – surprising who you have forgotten to advise of your move.
Update your birthday book and include dates like mothers and fathers day for the uk (they are different here)
Photocopy passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, driving licence and keep in a separate place.
Advise Inland Revenue of your plans and fill in form for tax rebate.
Advise authorities re family allowance.
Don’t throw away your winter coat (it gets very cold here at night in the few weeks of winter)
Ditto the above for blankets and hot water bottles
If you have an electric towel rail BRING IT we do miss warm towels.
Go to web site for driving licence test questions and answers (the equivalent of the highway code is $38 and difficult to read.
http://day.uws.edu.au/~97070694/car-c.pdf
Take a few practice tests on line
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing...test/index.html
Bring all your coathangers – not much in the way of drawers in built in’s nor space for them in bedrooms so everything is hung up. I am still buying more coathangers after 7 months.
Get childrens test results and standard details for australian schools.
(I don't have school age children so do not know anything about your requirements - perhaps someone will extend the list of such needs.)
__________________
Colin & Yvonne
They call this retirement!!!!!

moneypenny20

You are definitely a blind lion today Bix - that link isn't complete

Bix

Alloo my little tickly whiskers

I just realised and pasted the post from YAFM instead.

Wave the Sails

Thanks all again for all the useful info - still wading through.

Bit late to stock up on the Pill though

Mrs Jones

21 weeks pregnant

wholeworldwindow

Omg.....no Decaff!arghghgghghghghg!

ad4ozz

Good list I like it...hope I need it shortly... . :scared: .

mlbonner

PMSL - well this true.... perhaps for afterwards

Geordie George

TO DO LIST

This is mine - 99.9% due to the posts already credited in this thread!

Financial
Pay off any debts.
Advise Inland Revenue of your plans and fill in form for tax rebate.
Get refs from banks (as proof that you are good payers).
Change addresses with bank(s), student loans, pension people etc.
Close any bank accounts that will not be used.
Open account with currency exchange people (HIFX have easiest and quickest forms but DO NOT ALWAYS give the best rate).
Convert dosh.
Open Australian bank account (HSBC worked for us) prior to going.
Cancel standing orders, direct debits etc. for any regular payments (see below); make sure you cancel with the bank as well as the company.
Notify tax office, insurance company (life insurance etc.) if you have shares notify company of change of address.
Make a will. If you make a will in Australia it overrides any UK will, its best to have a UK one covering UK assets and an Oz one covering Oz assets but have reference in the Oz will referring to UK one.
Cancel credit cards.
Arrange a Nationwide Credit Card (or possibly Halifax). No annual charges and they do not charge extra for foreign currency purchases.
Arrange Standing Order to pay credit cards you will be keeping while you are travelling and getting organised.
Make arrangements with bank(s) for on-line banking.

Travel
Get immunised for travel.
Arrange flights.
Arrange accommodation en route.
Find out about what you can put in the hold for free by asking for a ‘migration baggage allowance’ from the airline and obtain a letter showing this, in case you are questioned. (This may not work if you go via the USA, as you already get 64kg per person in two cases.)
Organise travel insurance for the trip (your annual one may not cover one way travel).

Shipping
Decide on shipping company.
Arrange for the movers (if you are taking a container) to come.
Pack your suitcase just before packers come with all the bits you will need when you go (we are travelling first so in our cases will be our clothes – including stuff for interviews etc, driving licence, all important paperwork, references etc.)
Scrub shoes and disinfect.
Ditto garden tools and furniture – if necessary paint handles/blades – wipe with Jeyes fluid and mark them that this has been done.
Sort out Christmas decorations. Throw away pine cones etc. Mark the box ‘tinsel, tree ornaments and fairy lights’ NOT Christmas decorations (can mark ‘NO PINE CONES’).
Make a list of the items it is worth insuring (only insure breakables etc. most things only cost you unnecessary money).

Work
Refs from employers (current and former).
Register with as many job agencies as possible; Hays and TMP Hudson have Global parts in London.

Rental
Be checking housing market and rentals on-line.
Arrange temp accommodation in UK for once household effects are shipped.
Arrange short-term temp accommodation in Oz (for 2 weeks?) to give time to decide where to rent upon arrival.
If in rental accommodation in UK, ask for a reference stating prompt payment.

Motoring
Sell car.
Driving licence - notify DVLA of address change.
Arrange for car rental for first 2 weeks - rentnewcars.com were bar far the cheapest.
Get proof of no claims insurance bonus.
Go to web site for driving licence test questions and answers (the equivalent of the highway code is $38 and difficult to read):
http://day.uws.edu.au/~97070694/car-c.pdf
Take a few practice tests on line:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing...test/index.html

Communication
Send back as much junk mail with "moved and gone away: return to sender" on them (cuts down on mail needing to be redirected) - best to start this a few months in advance.
Sort out your mail redirection.
Leave couple of pages of labels addressed to a friend/relative in UK for odd bits that get through for the new occupier of your house to use. Then they can sort out and pass on to you if necessary.
If you plan to take your mobile, make sure it will be operative in Oz.
Get your mobile phone unlocked (can be done cheaply on line if necessary). Then purchase a pre paid pack in Australia to keep you going until you decide who to go with for the best cover for your chosen area. ($30 inc. $29 calls for a pre paid SIM)

Cancel
(and arrange rebate if appropriate: always best to do it in writing and keep a copy. Ensure that you ask all refunds are to be paid directly into your UK bank account as they send you cheques to Australia and this is not much use, or make arrangements for a friend/relative to have a paying in book and get the refunds sent to them.)
Cable
TV licence
Council tax
House insurance
Electric
Gas
Water
Phone
Car insurance
Internet
Mobile phone contract (if not taking)
If you have yearly subscriptions to anything make sure they are cancelled, as they are easy to overlook.
Get copies of some utilities to use as evidence of good payment for same in Australia (otherwise you may have to pay a large deposit of $100 or so). Australian utilities go in one person’s name, Mr or Mrs - they don’t like Mr/Mrs, and therefore the person who organises it gets the bills in their name – so utilities should match.

Keeping in touch
Get email addresses for everyone you can (cuts down on postage costs).
Copy across all your email addresses, contacts and favourite sites as well as copies of all documentation that you may require.
Update your address book including telephone numbers and email addresses.
Get copy of last years’ Christmas card list – surprising who you have forgotten to advise of your move.
Update your birthday book and include dates like mothers and fathers day for the UK (they are different in Oz).

Medical
Get details of your medical records from Doctors.
Stock up on the pill or other free contraception.
Stock up with your favourite over the counter medication including multi-vitamins, cod liver oil and sea sickness pills etc. (expensive in Oz compared with supermarket’s own brands in the UK).
Get a couple of months’ supply of medication to cover you while you get sorted with a GP in Australia.
Get your eyes tested if the annual test is due – take copy of result.
Go to dentist for same.
Have smear.
If you have private health insurance get copy of your contracts as some Australian companies will accept a ‘roll over’ and not make you have a waiting period.

Other
Organise ALL the keys you have to the house to be given to the new occupiers.
Make arrangements for voting by proxy or post.
If you have the facility, burn your photos on to CDs for safety and take them with you in luggage.
Photocopy passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, driving licence and keep in a separate place.

GG

renth

Fantastic and comprehensive list but you don't need your UK medical records, they are not needed or even wanted over here.

Remember NOT to cancel AA membership. The British AA has a reciprocal agreement with the Australian RAC, you can carry over any remaining membership you have and retain your "member since 19xx" status which over here gets extra benefits..

MarkMyWords

What scarily long lists. Did we really do all that? No wonder we were exhausted.

Just a few little things.

(1) Do bring your medical records, especially if you have any chronic conditions or have had any interesting episodes (operations, emergencies...). This is so if something similar happens in Oz you can wave it under someone's nose and say "look, this is relevant". This saves them from guessing your history or having to ask you. You may need to try quite hard to extract medical records from a hospital, though.

(2) DVLA change of address: you'll need to give them a UK one (a relative's is probably best).

(3) Transferring files between computers: buy a USB memory stick. Small capacity ones (64Mb?) are dirt cheap now (although even cheaper in Oz).

(4) Fat-free chocolate muffins? Contradiction in terms, there's plenty of fat in chocolate. Sorry Michelle! (Unless you were being ironic of course!)